The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), now in its
29th year, has announced the films selected for its Critics’ Picks and Rebels
With a Cause competitions, both spotlighting bold and unconventional
filmmaking. The Estonian festival promises “daring cinema and fearless
storytelling,” with a splash of star power—James McAvoy features in Turn
Up the Sun! from director Jamie Adams, which will screen out of
competition.
The Critics’ Picks section, now in its fourth year,
is described by organizers as “a cinematic feast for the brave and curious,”
presenting 10 world premieres from around the globe. Program curator Nikolaj
Nikitin emphasized the international diversity of the selection, featuring
films from Iran, Peru, Canada, Tunisia, Mexico, Taiwan, France, Lithuania,
and of course, Estonia.
“These films are genre-bending gems that break boundaries
and expectations,” Nikitin said. “You’ll find everything from gritty noir and
sharp political thrillers to sensual coming-of-age stories and genre-defying
thrill rides. It’s a gourmet menu for true cinephiles—rich, risky, and
radically original.”
The jury for Critics’ Picks includes Dechen Roder
(Bhutanese director), Thomas Schultze (German film journalist), and Jean-Baptiste
Babin (French producer).
The Rebels With a Cause competition, introduced in
2017, will feature a lineup of all world premieres this year. Curator Javier
Garcia Puerto noted that the section continues to champion bold,
provocative storytelling with fresh debuts from Japan, Turkey, and Canada,
alongside established names like Lluís Miñarro, Jamie Adams, and Adrián
Sitaru.
He added, “Rebels isn’t just about bold scripts or
visuals—it’s about attitude. This year’s films include standout performances
from James McAvoy, renowned choreographer Lluís Garau, and a
poignant posthumous role by Marisa Paredes.”
The Rebels With a Cause jury features Ali Asgari
(Iranian director), Rogan Graham (British film critic and curator), and Alicia
Reginato (Spanish producer).
Lineups:
📍 Critics’ Picks
Competition:
- A
Summer Tale – dir. Matías Szulanski (Argentina)
- China
Sea – dir. Jurgis Matulevičius (Lithuania, Taiwan, Poland, Czechia)
- Invisibles
– dir. Junna Chif (Canada)
- Mo
Papa – dir. Eeva Mägi (Estonia)
- Nino
in Paradise – dir. Laurent Micheli (Belgium, France)
- Oh,
What Happy Days – dir. Homayoun Ghanizadeh (Iran, USA, France, Canada)
- Round
13 – dir. Mohamed Ali Nahdi (Tunisia, Cyprus, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)
- Street
Wanderers – dir. Juan Martin Hsu (Argentina, Peru)
- That
Burning House – dir. Yin-Chuan Tsai (Taiwan)
- The
Silent Virgin – dir. Xavi Sala (Mexico)
🔥 Rebels With a Cause
Competition:
- Blindsight
– dir. Adrian Sitaru (Romania, Turkey)
- Emergency
Exit – dir. Lluís Miñarro (Spain)
- La
Carn – dir. Joan Porcel (Spain)
- Leleka
– dir. Harald Hutter (Canada, France, Spain, Ukraine, USA)
- Lo-Fi
– dir. Alican Durbaş (Turkey)
- MieMie
~She Can See~ – dir. Katsutoshi Furuya (Japan)
- The
Baronesses – dir. Nabil Ben Yadir (Belgium)
- The
Megalomaniacs – dir. Spiros Stathoulopoulos (Greece, Colombia)
- Vache
Folle – dir. Hugo Diego Garcia, Lorenzo Bentivoglio (France)
🎬 Rebels With a Cause –
Out of Competition:
- Turn
Up the Sun! – dir. Jamie Adams (UK), starring James McAvoy
🇪🇸 Rebels With a
Cause – Catalonia Special Screenings:
- Umbracle
(1972) – dir. Pere Portabella
- Ocaña,
an Intermittent Portrait (1978) – dir. Ventura Pons
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival continues to serve as
a major platform for envelope-pushing cinema from around the world, drawing
attention from critics, curators, and cinephiles alike.
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